Street-level ApologeticsStreet-level Apologetics

Suffering and GodSuffering and God

As he went along, he saw a man blind As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" parents, that he was born blind?" “Neither this man nor his parents sinned," “Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."world, I am the light of the world."

Having said this, he spit on the ground, Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. His washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?”same man who used to sit and beg?”

Some claimed that he was. Others said, Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." himself insisted, "I am the man."

"How then were your eyes opened?" they "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded. He replied, "The man they demanded. He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." "Where is this man?" they could see." "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said. asked him. "I don't know," he said.

They brought to the Pharisees the man They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see”I washed, and now I see”

Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided. Finally they turned again to were divided. Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet." The The man replied, "He is a prophet." The Jews still did not believe that he had been Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents.sent for the man's parents.

"Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the "Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?" "We know he is that now he can see?" "We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. But how he we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself”will speak for himself”

His parents said this because they were His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him.”age; ask him.”

A second time they summoned the man who A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," they had been blind. "Give glory to God," they said. "We know this man is a sinner." He said. "We know this man is a sinner." He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”blind but now I see!”

Then they asked him, "What did he do to Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered, "I have told you already and answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”disciples, too?”

Then they hurled insults at him and said, Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from." don't even know where he comes from." The man answered, "Now that is The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

We know that God does not listen to sinners. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. the eyes of a man born blind. If this man If this man were not from God, he could do were not from God, he could do nothing." nothing."

To this they replied, "You were steeped in To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out. And they threw him out.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, that I may believe in him." Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." Then the the one speaking with you." Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. worshiped him.

Jesus said, "For judgment I have come Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." and those who see will become blind." Some Pharisees who were with him Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains- John 9:1-41your guilt remains- John 9:1-41

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in the work of God might be displayed in his life.”his life.”

Instead of asking “Why God?” or getting Instead of asking “Why God?” or getting angry with God and judging God… angry with God and judging God…

Ask- “God, what could you do in this Ask- “God, what could you do in this situation that would bring you glory? situation that would bring you glory? That would point the way to just how That would point the way to just how amazing you are?”amazing you are?”

““Go and wash in the pool of Siloam…”Go and wash in the pool of Siloam…”

For the first time in your life, you can see!For the first time in your life, you can see!

Shame is removed…Shame is removed…

How do you feel?How do you feel?

The Neighbors…The Neighbors…

The Pharisees are called in…The Pharisees are called in…

"He put mud on my eyes," the man "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see." replied, "and I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the not from God, for he does not keep the SabbathSabbath." But others asked, "How can a ." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were they were divideddivided. .

The Parents are brought in…The Parents are brought in…

A second time they summoned the man who A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," they had been blind. "Give glory to God," they said. "We know this man is a sinner." He said. "We know this man is a sinner." He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”blind but now I see!”

Then they asked him, "What did he do to Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered, "I have told you already and answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”disciples, too?”

Then they hurled insults at him and said, Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from." don't even know where he comes from." The man answered, "Now that is The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

We know that God does not listen to sinners. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. the eyes of a man born blind. If this man If this man were not from God, he could do were not from God, he could do nothing." nothing."

To this they replied, "You were steeped in To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out. And they threw him out.

Jesus searches him out…Jesus searches him out…

Jesus said, "For judgment I have come Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." and those who see will become blind." Some Pharisees who were with him Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains- John 9:1-41your guilt remains- John 9:1-41

Compassion ForumCompassion Forum

““Senator, we've heard about HIV/AIDS. Senator, we've heard about HIV/AIDS. Many people here are concerned about Many people here are concerned about Darfur and a number of other Darfur and a number of other humanitarian issues. Why do you think humanitarian issues. Why do you think it is that a loving God allows innocent it is that a loving God allows innocent people to suffer?”people to suffer?”

Compassion ForumCompassion Forum

““...what that means to me is that in the ...what that means to me is that in the face of suffering, there is no doubt in my face of suffering, there is no doubt in my mind that God calls us to respond. You mind that God calls us to respond. You know, that's part of what we are know, that's part of what we are expected to do. For whatever reason it expected to do. For whatever reason it exists, its very existence is a call to exists, its very existence is a call to action…action…

Compassion ForumCompassion Forum

““You know, in my Judeo-Christian faith You know, in my Judeo-Christian faith tradition, in both the Old and the New tradition, in both the Old and the New Testament, the incredible demands that Testament, the incredible demands that God places on us and that the prophets God places on us and that the prophets ask of us, and that Christ called us to ask of us, and that Christ called us to respond to on behalf of the poor are respond to on behalf of the poor are unavoidable.”unavoidable.”

““As long as it is day, we must do the work As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” when no one can work”